Money & Me: 'Get really good at something and money will be an obvious outcome'

Harsh Garg leads a dual life, as a corporate executive and a passionate mentor. By day, he operates as vice president of strategy and mergers and acquisitions at Ralliant, a publicly traded industrial technology firm in North Carolina. His entrepreneurial spirit shines through his co-founding of Golchi, a travel-bottle start-up that successfully raised over $400,000 through Kickstarter.

Beyond his professional roles, Garg dedicates time as a strategic mentor at Founder Mode Bootcamp, a 12-week accelerator program for teenagers aged 13 to 20 seeking to launch and fund their own ventures. Garg, originally from Delhi, spent a decade in the United States before relocating to Dubai with his family in December 2024. Currently, his earnings amount to approximately Dh2.5 million ($680,000) annually, derived from a mix of corporate salary, diversified investments in US equities, bonds, gold, and real estate.

Garg's upbringing in a middle-class family instilled a strong sense of discipline and value for money. His parents emphasized the importance of using money wisely to enhance convenience, upgrade skills, and foster continuous personal growth. Despite never feeling affluent, Garg and his family navigated financial challenges early on by mastering the art of optimizing resources and maximizing value.

Garg's career trajectory began with a civil engineering degree from IIT Kanpur. His first job post-graduation involved designing bridges and highways, providing him with a substantial monthly income for the first time in his life. Reflecting on his early financial journey, Garg acknowledges the lessons learned about managing limited resources and optimizing spending.

He credits these experiences for shaping his approach to financial management. Today, Garg's professional pursuits focus on strategic growth, scaling businesses, and driving innovation. His decision to pursue an MBA at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management was driven by a desire to operate at a more strategic level within organizations.

Currently, Garg's income is a blend of stable corporate earnings and diversified investment portfolios. This diversified approach ensures a steady cash flow while positioning him for future entrepreneurship endeavors. Garg describes himself as somewhere between a spender and a saver. While he acknowledges the importance of saving for future needs like retirement and education, he also recognizes the value of investments that enhance convenience and open up new opportunities.

Garg's most successful investment has been in the US equity market, which has yielded strong, risk-adjusted returns over time. Looking back on his financial journey, Garg offers three core pieces of advice to his younger self. First, he emphasizes that money should never be the primary driver of one's pursuits but rather an outcome of aligning with one's passions and interests.

Second, Garg stresses the importance of cultivating a passion for entrepreneurship, even if it doesn't immediately translate into a long-term plan. Finally, he advocates for the habit of saving to prepare for unexpected financial challenges, emphasizing the value of being financially prepared for any circumstance. In terms of personal luxuries, Garg finds that material possessions pale in comparison to meaningful experiences.

He values spending quality time with family, exploring new places together, and creating lasting memories that enrich their lives.